Internal-combustion engine.



PATENTED NOV. 24, 1903.

G. BRIKSON.

INTERNAL GOMBUSTION BNGNB.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 17. 1902.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ATTORNEY N0.;745,098. PATENTED Nov. 24, 1903.

G. EEIKsoN. INTERNAL GOMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.17. 1902.

H0 MODEL. 2 SlETsi-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR O @f2 (Rv/Vy p QAQ'M) ATTORNEY UNITED STATES Patented November24, 1903.

PATENT Ori-TCE GUS'IAF ERIKSON, OF SDEILTELGE, SWEDEN, ASSIGNOR TOVAGNFABRIKS AKTIEBOLAGET I SODERTELGE, OF SDERTELGE, SWEDEN.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 745,098, dated.November 24, 1903.

Application led October 17, 1902. Serial No. 127,671. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom t may concern,.-

Beit known that I, GUsTAE EEIKsON, engineer, a subject of the King ofSweden and Norway, and a resident of Sdertelge, in the Kingdom ofSweden, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relatingto Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to internal-combustion engines or explosivevapor-engines of the four-cycle description; and the object of theinvention is to provide means for governing their power and rotaryspeed.

One defect found in the explosion-engines now in use is their inabilityto vary speed and torque within wide limits. For this reason it has notbeen found feasible in many instances to substitute explosion-enginesfor steam-engines or electric motors. An instance of this kind is anengine for operatinga machine-tool where a variable' speed with aconstant torque is required. Another instance is the employment of anengine for propelling a vehicle where it is necessary to introducecomplicated gearing between the motor and the vehicle-wheels in order tocontrol the speed of the vehicle. The present engine, in which myinvention is embodied, is, however, capable of variation in velocitywith constant torque or in torque with constant velocity as readily as asteam-engine or electriomotor, and, furthermore, it will adjust itselfautomatically to variations in load, so that when the load increases thetorque is also increased in proportion to the increase in the load, therotary velocity being, however, proportionately reduced.

The object is attained by admitting into the cylinder of the engine agreater or less quantity of an explosive mixture of a constantcomposition and at the same time admitting a smaller or greater quantityof air in such a manner as not to allow the air in a noteworthy degreeto mix with the explosive mixture in the charging-chamber of thecylinder and to such a quantity that practically a complete iilling ofthe cylinder is always obtained.

In the accompanying drawings, which serve to illustrate an embodiment ofthe invention, Figure l is a partial sectional side elevation of theengine; and Fig. 2 is a plan of the same, partly in section.

A is the cylinder of the engine, B is the piston therein, and O is theconnecting-rod which couples the piston to the crank D on the main shaftE.

F is the passage admitting the explosive mixture into theignition-chamber G.

I-I is the admission-valve that is opened either by suction, asillustrated in the drawings, or mechanically, and I is the exhaustvalve.This valve is opened at each fourth stroke of the engine by a rod K,actuated by a cam L on a counter-shaft M, driven by suitable gearingfrom the engine-shaft E.

All of the above features are known in this class of engine and areemployed herein to illustrate the application to such an engine of thepresent invention, which will now be described with reference to thedrawings.

In connection with the explosion-chamber Gr is an air-valve N, thevalve-box of which communicates through small openings O with the outerair. A tube or pipe P extends from the valve into the explosion-chamberu`p to the rear part of the piston B when the latter takes up its remoteposition from the crankshaft. The valve N, which is opened by suction,is closed by a spring, the tension of which in case the admission-valveH be also opened by suction is adjustedin such amanner that a strongersuction is required for opening the valve N than that required foropening the admission-valve II. In case the admissionvalve be opened byalever or other mechanism the strength of the closing-spring of the valveN is of no particular importance. Located in the admission-passage F forthe explosive mixture,as near as possible to the admissionvalve H, is athrottle-valve Q. This throttlevalve can be controlled either by hand orby a regulator through the medium-rod Q', as seen in Fig. 1. The purposeof the provision of the two valves N and Q is to make it possible bythrottling the inlet by means of the diminished. The air and explosivemixture do not mix with each other when entering the charging-chamber,the air being admitted by means of the pipe P to a place in front of theexplosive mixture, which is admitted at the extreme end of thecharging-chamber. The cylinder will be approximately filled, and thecompression will thus be nearly constant. If the ignition, which can beperformed, say, either by an ignition-tube or by electricity, isarranged to take place near the entrance of the explosive mixture, thecombustion, partly on account of being initiated at a spot where astrong explosive mixture is found and partly on account of theapproximately constant compression, is always insured however small aquantity of explosive mixture is drawn in.

By using the air-valve N and the throttlevalve Q for regulating thequantity of explosive mixture drawn in it is possible, first, to varythe power of the engin e, while retaining a constant speed of rotation;second, to vary the speed of the engine under a constant load, and,third, to obtain an automatic governing control of the power and speedof the engine according to the variations in the load.

Case l. Then the engine is running at a constant speed and theresistance to admission of explosive mixture is varied by thethrottlevalve, a greater or less quantity of air will be drawn inthrough the air-valve and a correspondingly smaller or greater quantityof explosive mixture will be drawn in through the admission-valve and asa result the violence of the explosions and the power of the engine willbe varied.

Case 2. With a constant load if the resistance offered to the admissionof explosive mixture through the throttle -valve be decreased a smallerquantity of air will be drawn in through the air-valve and acorrespondingly larger quantity of explosive mixture will be drawn inthrough the admission-valve. As a result, the violence of the explosionswill increase and the velocity of the engine will be correspondinglyincreased. In consequence of the increased speed of the engine theresistance in the throttle-valve is also increased, and as a result alarger quantity of air is drawn in through the air-valve. This willcontinue until the resistance in the throttlevalve amounts to theoriginal resistance,when a condition of continuance will begin. If theresistance of the throttle-valve be increased, a diminished velocitywill result.

Case 3. If the load increases while the throttle-valve is kept in aconstant condition, so as to offer a constant resistance, the velocityof the engine will decrease. As a result the resistance in thethrottle-valve will be decreased, and thus a smaller quantity of airwill be drawn in through the air-valve and a larger quantity ofexplosive mixture will be drawn in through the admissionvalve, and theexplosions will increase in violence. This will continue until theresistance offered by the throttle-valve has decreased in such a degreeas to barely admit of a quantity of explosive mixture being drawn insufficient for the increased load, a condition of continuance at adecreased velocity now beginning. The reverse action will take placewhen the load is decreased.

A method of controlling before used which is somewhat similar to thatdescribed and which also fulfils within narrow limits the cases aboveindicated is by throttling without the use of an air-valve N. Such amethod has, however, the great inconvenience that the compression fallswith the throttling. In consequence thereof a limit will soon be reachedwhere the ignition becomes uncertain, andv then the control cannot becarried farther. By the arrangement according to this invention thecompression will, as shown,he nearly constant, and as a result theignition is always insured, whereby the controlling device will be moreeconomical than that obtained by simply throttling.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. An internal-combustion engine having means for operating theexhaust-valve thereof, means for admitting an explosive mixture to theengine-cylinder, means for regulating the quantity of the explosivemixture admitted during one stroke of the piston, an autom atie suctionair-valve for admitting air, when the explosive-mixture charge isreduced in quantity, simultaneously with and in front of the explosivemixture and in a quantity, together with the explosive mixture, to fillthe cylinder.

2. An internal-combustion engine having an exhaust-valve, an inlet-valvefor an explosive mixture, a throttle-valve for regulating the quantityof the explosive mixture admitted during one stroke of the'piston, anautomatic suction air-valve for admitting air to the cylinder and aspring which holds said air-valve normally closed Iduring thesuctionstroke, said spring being strong enough to resist the opening ofsaid air-valve when the admitted explosive mixture is not throttled.

3. An internal-combustion engine having an exhaust-valve, an inlet-valvefor van explosive mixture, a throttle-valve for regulatin g the quantityof the explosive mixture admitted, a suction air-valve for admitting airto the cylinder, a spring which holds said airvalve normally closedduring the suctionstroke, said spring so adjusted that the airvalve onlyopens when the admitted explosive ICO IIO

Ill

mixture is throttled, and means for deiivermy name in the presence oftwo subscribing ing the admitted air in front of the explosiveWitnesses. mixture, said means Comprising L pipe F eX- tending fromtheair-valve through the ex- GUSTAF ERIKSON' 5 plosveehztmher yto theinner end of the eyl- XVitnesses:

nder. ERNST SVANQVIST,

In Witness whereof I have hereunto signed AUG. SRENSEN.

